Leasing Manager

The Leasing Manager manages the leasing process across the portfolio, with lease renewals and tenant retention as the primary mandate. Senior leadership sets rates and deal terms. This role owns everything around them: tracking what is coming due, preparing the analysis behind each recommendation, carrying the tenant conversations, and driving every deal from first contact to executed lease. Renewals come first, because keeping a performing tenant protects income and avoids downtime. When space does come back, this role takes it from vacancy through signature. Key Responsibilities Lease Renewals & Tenant Retention Own the renewal pipeline across the portfolio, working expirations far enough ahead that no lease drifts into holdover by default. Conduct renewal and option discussions directly with tenants at the rates and terms set by senior leadership, and carry them through to agreement without erosion during negotiation. Evaluate tenant performance, sales reporting where available, payment history, and merchandising fit before recommending renewal, replacement, or non-renewal. Prepare renewal proposals, rate recommendations, and concession packages for senior leadership approval, with the reasoning and alternatives stated. Build and maintain direct relationships with tenants so renewal conversations start from a known relationship rather than a form letter. Identify at-risk tenants early and bring options to senior leadership well before an expiration forces the decision. New Leasing & Vacancy Recovery Take vacant and soon-to-be-vacant space from availability through executed lease, including space recovered through non-renewal, default, or early termination. Source prospects directly through tenant relationships, brokers, industry contacts, and canvassing rather than relying on inbound inquiry. Qualify prospective tenants on concept, financial strength, operating history, and fit with the center's merchandising mix. Prepare and negotiate letters of intent at the rates and terms set by senior leadership, and bring anything outside those terms back for direction before responding. Manage listing exposure for available space, including marketing collateral and listing platforms, working with marketing where support exists. Confirm exclusive use restrictions, prohibited uses, and recorded restrictions before terms are issued, so deals are not negotiated and then unwound. Market Research & Comparable Analysis Run comparable rent and concession analysis personally for every deal, using current market evidence rather than prior-year assumptions. Maintain working knowledge of competing centers in each submarket, including asking rates, vacancy, tenant movement, and new supply. Track achieved rents, tenant improvement allowances, and free rent across the portfolio and in the market, and use the comp set to support rate positions in negotiation. Prepare market summaries and rate recommendations for senior leadership and for the annual budget process. Monitor retailer expansion plans, store closures, and new concepts entering each market. Deal Economics & Approval Build the economics for every proposal, including net effective rent, tenant improvement and concession cost, downtime, and commission exposure, measured against the approved budget. Prepare deal approval packages and present recommendations to senior leadership, including the options considered and the reason for the recommendation. Work within budgeted rate, tenant improvement, and free rent parameters, and flag clearly when a deal requires an exception. Coordinate with accounting on recovery structure, billing setup, and the effect of deal terms on property income.Understand and speak to the impact of each deal on value, not only on occupancy. Actively place existing tenants into additional centers across the portfolio, treating every strong operator as a multi-location prospect. Maintain a portfolio-wide view of merchandising mix and identify gaps an existing relationship could fill faster than a cold search. Relocate and right-size tenants within and between centers to improve mix, recapture better space, or meet a tenant's growth or contraction need without losing them. Contribute to repositioning and re-tenanting strategy for underperforming space. Bring forward opportunities that improve long-term center value rather than only the next signature. Deal Documentation & Execution Prepare and issue letters of intent, then drive each deal to lease execution with counsel and lease administration. Track every open deal and its status, and keep senior leadership current without being asked. Coordinate with legal on lease drafting, tenant comments, and resolution of open issues. Partner with construction and property management on delivery condition, work letters, tenant improvement scope, and store opening timing. Confirm that executed documents reflect the terms actually approved. Support & Internal Coordination Support senior leadership on transactions involving outside brokers by assembling comparables, deal economics, and proposal materials on request. Rate setting, outside broker negotiations, listing engagements, and commission agreements are handled by senior leadership. Direct the work of leasing administrative and coordination support, including tour scheduling, collateral, availability reporting, and prospect tracking. Support is available for the legwork; the negotiating, market analysis, and judgment stay with this role. Work with property management on tour readiness, space condition, and the tenant issues that shape a renewal conversation. Serve as the leasing point of contact for senior leadership. Reporting & Accountability Maintain the availability schedule, prospect report, and active leasing pipeline. Report on renewal status, executed deals, rate achieved against budget, and open space. Contribute leasing assumptions to the annual budget, including renewal probability, downtime, market rate, and tenant improvement cost. Track performance against the metrics described under Compensation below. Work Location & Travel This is an on-site position based in our Irvine, California office. The expectation is full time in the office, Monday through Friday. The exceptions are property tours, tenant and broker meetings, site visits, industry events, and travel to out-of-state properties. This is not a hybrid or remote role, and it is not a role that can be performed from home between tours. Regular travel to out-of-state assets, including Hawaii, is required. Compensation & Bonus Structure This position is compensated with a competitive base salary plus a performance bonus. The bonus is tied to defined leasing metrics set annually with senior leadership, which may include: Renewal retention rate against the annual target. Renewal rent spread over expiring rent. Executed deals closed at the rate and terms set by senior leadership, without concessions granted outside direction. Executed deal volume against the leasing plan. Occupancy and leased percentage against budget. Downtime on recovered space, measured from vacancy to rent commencement. Tenant improvement and concession spend against budget. New deals generated from existing portfolio relationships. Required Qualifications 5 to 10+ years of commercial retail leasing experience, with shopping center or multi-tenant retail experience required. Demonstrated record of negotiating both renewals and new leases directly, from first conversation through executed document. Ability to run comparable rent analysis independently and build deal economics without waiting for an analyst. Working command of retail lease structure, including triple net recoveries, percentage rent, exclusive use, co-tenancy, options, holdover, and tenant improvement provisions. Ability to read a leasing budget and negotiate to the rates and terms set by senior leadership, with the discipline to hold the position under pressure and the judgment to flag when a deal warrants a different approach. Strong Excel skills and comfort with property management and market data platforms. Self-directed and organized, with the ability to carry a full pipeline and keep every deal moving without being managed through it. Clear, professional written and verbal communication with tenants, brokers, counsel, and senior leadership. Willingness to work on-site as described above and to travel to out-of-state properties on a regular basis. Valid driver's license and continuous vehicle liability insurance, as property tours are an essential function of the role. Preferred Qualifications Experience leasing in more than one state, including Hawaii or other island or out-of-state markets. Active California real estate salesperson or broker license. Experience working directly with ownership or principals rather than through a brokerage platform. Bachelor's degree in real estate, business, finance, or a related field. Experience with lease renewals at portfolio scale, including option and notice mechanics. Benefits & Culture Competitive base salary plus performance bonus tied to the metrics above. Comprehensive benefits including medical, dental, vision, 401(k), and paid time off. Direct access to senior leadership and daily involvement in portfolio-level leasing decisions. A portfolio with genuine room to improve rate, mix, and occupancy, rather than a stabilized book to maintain. #J-18808-Ljbffr